What will the house of the future look like and who's going to be buying it?

Eastern Daily Press: The 'Onesie': someone who lives alone, possibly following divorce, and the housetype set to make up 41% of all UK households by 2033. Pic: www.struttandparker.comThe 'Onesie': someone who lives alone, possibly following divorce, and the housetype set to make up 41% of all UK households by 2033. Pic: www.struttandparker.com

Are you a 'Onesie', a 'Glomad' or a 'Sundowner'?

They sound like a trio of cocktails but these are actually names being given in a new report predicting the house buyers and the homes of the future.

A new report has made some predictions as to the types of buyers – a 'Onesie', for example, is a 'single person occupier' who will make up nearly half of all UK households by 2033.

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Eastern Daily Press: The 'Waltons': people who live with other relatives making up a mult-generational household. Pic: www.struttandparker.comThe 'Waltons': people who live with other relatives making up a mult-generational household. Pic: www.struttandparker.com

A 'Glomad' is a new breed of housebuyer looking for short-term rental accommodation because of their need to travel for work and a 'Sundowner' is a retired person fortunate to own their home outright and with a high level of income. Sundowners are expected to form almost a quarter of the entire UK population by 2026.

Other 'tribes' include 'Rusticarians' who are people with a strong interest in environmental issues and a willingness to try unconventional housing solutions and the 'Waltons' who represent the multi-generational household.

The elaborate terms for house buyers forms part of the latest research compiled over five years by property agents Strutt & Parker titled Housing Futures: New Horizons which, after surveying home buyers and renters, predicts various trends and the homes needed as a result.

It found a good digital connection is our number one priority when buying a house along with being able to provide financial support for relatives and we want to live in a big city in a semi detached house rather than in a rural location in a detached one.

As a result, we need to be building the 'Yo Yo' house which is a home that can adapt to us, states the report. It would, for example, be adaptable when circumstances change such as when children from a previous relationship move in. Such a house would have walls which could be moved to create different living spaces as well as the option to divide up the property into flats for ageing parents.

Other solutions include 'Platinum Places' which are new mixed tenure communities open to a wide range of age groups and with facilities such as gyms and swimming pools and 'Micro Mansions. These are for those people who value location over space so offering tiny living accommodation of typically just 100-250sqft.

Technology is also predicted to change dramatically to aid in the current house buying and selling process. Holoportation, for example, may sound like something from a futuristic movie but this is actually already being used within estate agency. It uses virtual reality through a headset to give people a view of a property, saving time and money.

AI, Artificial Intelligence, is also being developed to generate bespoke property searches and, expanding on the smart home technology already being used, creates intelligent homes that learn your living patterns and can respond accordingly.

Eastern Daily Press: Tom Goodley, a director at Strutt & Parker in Norwich. Pic: www.struttandparker.comTom Goodley, a director at Strutt & Parker in Norwich. Pic: www.struttandparker.com

Tom Goodley, a director and head of Norfolk agency at Strutt & Parker in Norwich, said: 'With regard to technology and how this can be used to enhance property buying/selling we're already adopting some of these ideas.

'Virtual reality viewings are already being used, and it's possible to drop into one of our London offices to view a selection of houses. A virtual reality headset gives buyers the sense of actually being in the house, appreciating room sizes, location of windows and ceiling heights.

'Holographic technology also allows anyone to interact in a 3D, computer-generated environment from anywhere in the world. Users appear as real-life representations of themselves and they can explore residential developments, walk around specific properties and even see options in other cities.'